The majority of people have a hard time staying motivated to exercise, and with our busy lives today it’s not surprising. These tips for staying motivated to exercise will not only help you exercise more often, but they’ll make you actually want to exercise more.
The key to staying in shape is staying motivated and exercising regularly, so follow these tips and within weeks you’ll notice yourself losing weight easier than ever before.
1. Find A Workout Buddy – This is possibly the best tip you could get when it comes to getting motivated to exercise. By having a workout buddy, it’s hard to say no to exercising because you’ll feel as if you let the other person down. You’ll also motivate each other more while at the gym, letting you have a better workout each day. The only problem with this is finding someone who will be reliable, so choose carefully!
2. Mix It Up – Doing the same workout over and over can be incredibly boring. If you go to the gym 5 times per week, try to do at least 2 different workouts. For example, lift weights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then take a jog on Tuesday and Thursday. It also helps to mix it up monthly as well. Do one exercise routine this month, then change it to something else next month. It’s a very simple concept but can help tremendously with boredom.
3. Do Something Fun – Out of the many health and fitness tips out there for staying motivated, this is one of my favorites. Instead of being stuck by traditional wisdom that says you “need” to go to the gym – try doing something else. This can be rollerblading, yard work at a very fast pace, skiing or snowboarding, or any variety of other ways to exercise. It’s also a great idea to change the way you’re exercising. For example, instead of doing pull-ups – trying climbing a rope. Instead of bench pressing, do some regular old pushups or even some clapping pushups. Don’t feel the necessity to do what others are doing. Do what you like to do, not what others want you to do!
4. Take a Class – Most gyms have classes that allow you to do things such as step aerobics, spinning classes, or even a mix between salsa dancing and exercising. These classes can be a great way to burn tons of calories (a typical kickboxing class can burn up to 800 calories in a single class – according to a kickboxing instructor in my hometown) and a great way to network and meet new people. These new people might even become your new workout buddies. These classes can sometimes get a little expensive, so I recommend taking one whenever you feel burnt out and unmotivated.
5. Buy Some Exercise Equipment – If you aren’t a self motivated person, it helps to have the equipment right in front of your face. Many tips for staying motivated for exercise will say that you should buy some equipment and put it in your house. I recommend a Schwinn 203 Recumbent Exercise Bike for your own personal use. These are great for unmotivated people because you can watch TV while riding it. They don’t take up much space, are relatively cheap to buy, and offer great quality and a lot of fun.
One of the most important health and fitness tips you can get for becoming more motivated is to simply do something different. Follow the advice in this article and you’ll be back on track in no time.
Remember, the most important aspect of being in shape is that you stick with a routine consistently. It’s fine to miss a day or 2 once in awhile, but consistency is what will eventually help you lose the weight you want to lose and stay at that level forever.
